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From Swachh Bharat to the promotion of Digital payments and Vocal For Local, here is what PM Modi appealed in his address at YouTube Fanfest India 2023

OpIndia Staff
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From Swachh Bharat to the promotion of Digital payments and Vocal For Local, here is what PM Modi appealed in his address at YouTube Fanfest India 2023

On Wednesday (27 September), PM Modi gave a video address to fellow YouTubers on the YouTube Fanfest India 2023 to mark the completion of 15 years on the video-sharing platform. During his address, PM Modi made an appeal to the YouTube community to join forces and empower mass movement with three key priorities – Swachh Bharat, promotion of Digital payments, and vocal for local. 

PM Modi began his address to fellow YouTubers by stating that he is also just like them and has been actively connecting with the country through the video-sharing platform for the last 15 years.

He highlighted that around 5,000 creators and aspiring creators are active on the platform who make content on gaming, technology, food or travel blogging, and influencing lifestyle.

PM Modi asserted that the creative community of YouTubers has the power to make a change and bring transformation in the lives of a vast population in our country. 

He noted that by coming together, the community can empower, strengthen, and easily teach crores of people on important matters. 

Stating that there are more than thousands of videos on his YouTube channel, he asserted, “The most satisfying for me has been when I talked to lakhs of students in our country through YouTube on subjects like exam stress, expectation management, and productivity.” 

YouTubers should join forces to lead Mass movement on three key issues

Afterward, PM Modi made an appeal to the creative community to join forces and lead the mass movement on three key issues to success.  

He stated that the first topic is cleanliness, Swachh Bharat has become a big campaign in the last nine years. Everyone contributed to it, children brought an emotional power to it. Celebrities gave it heights, people in all corners of the country turned it into a mission and YouTubers like you made cleanliness more cool, PM Modi added.

He added, “But we don’t have to stop. Till the time cleanliness does not become India’s identity, we won’t stop. Therefore, cleanliness must be a priority for each one of you.” 

Secondly, PM Modi emphasised the need to increase Digital payments. He noted that due to the success of UPI, India today has a 46 percent share in digital payments of the world. 

Appealing to the YouTube community, he said, “You should inspire more and more people of the country to make digital payments, and teach them to make digital payments in simple language through your videos.” 

To strengthen the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, PM Modi raised Vocal For Local as the third key issue during his YouTube address. 

He said, “In our country, so many products are made at the local level. The skill of our local artisans is amazing. You can promote them also through your work, and help in making India’s local turn global.” 

He added, “Inspire others also, make an emotional appeal that we will buy the product that has the fragrance of our soil, which has the sweat of a labourer or artisan of our country. Whether it’s Khadi, handicrafts, handloom, or anything else. Awaken the nation, initiate a movement.” 

Apart from urging YouTubers to reinvigorate mass movement on the aforementioned three issues, PM Modi suggested, “Along with the identity that you have as a YouTuber, can you add an activity? Consider putting a question at the end of each episode or providing action points to do something. People can do the activity and share it with you. This way, your popularity will also grow, and people will not just listen but also engage in doing something.” 

Concluding his address, he did what all YouTubers do, appeal to subscribe to his channel, “I really enjoyed talking to all of you. What do you say at the end of your videos… I will also repeat it: Subscribe to my channel and hit the Bell Icon to receive all my updates.” 

Comedian Trevor Noah’s Bengaluru show cancelled due to bad sound system, audiences also complain about bad seating, bad AC and bad location

OpIndia Staff
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Comedian Trevor Noah’s Bengaluru show cancelled due to bad sound system, audiences also complain about bad seating, bad AC and bad location

South African comedian Trevor Noah’s show in Bengaluru on 27 September was cancelled due to a bad sound system. The comedy show, a part of the Off The Record world tour, was scheduled to be held Manpho Convention Centre near Manyata Tech Park in Nagavara in Northern Bengaluru.

The show was to begin at 7.30 PM, which started at around 8 PM, but at around 9 PM, Trevor Noah tweeted that the show had been cancelled. He said that due to technical reasons they are forced to both the shows.

“We tried everything but because the audience can’t hear the comedians on stage there’s literally no way to do a show,” he tweeted, indicating that there was a problem with the sound system which could not be fixed.

Trevor Noah assured that the ticket prices would be refunded, and apologised for the inconvenience and disappointment, which he said that has never happened to them before.

Trevor Noah told the audience that the sound guys couldn’t figure out how to fix the issue, and therefore he would not be able to perform. He said sorry for the situation and said that everyone would get their money back.

Apart from today’s show, the show scheduled for 28th September also has been cancelled, as the problems found in the venue can’t be fixed. Although Noah only talked about bad acoustics, the venue also has issues with bad seating, bad air conditioning, and bad access roads.

Several people who attended the show by purchasing tickets on Bookmyshow took to social media to complain that they could not hear anything. The audience said that the audio was terrible, and they were shouting ‘We can’t hear’.

People also complained about the selection of the venue, which is a flat auditorium without gallery seating, which means apart from not being able to hear, most people were also not able to see anything on the stage.

The crowd also complained about bad air-conditioning, as the auditorium became hot. People on social media slammed bookmyshow for bad planning.

However, the show faced even before it started, in the form of horrible traffic jams. There was massive traffic congestion at Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road, and people coming to the show were stuck in traffic for a long time. Some even tried to sell their tickets at a discount as they knew that they would not reach the venue on time.

The show was postponed by 30 minutes because most ticket holders were unable to reach the venue due to traffic congestion. However, when it did start, it had to be cancelled due to sound issues.

Trevor Noah’s Bengaluru shows were a part of his Off The Record Tour in India scheduled in 3 cities – Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

Scientists remove the lid of the OSIRIS-REx Sample canister retrieved from near-Earth asteroid Bennu, find its ‘dust and debris’

OpIndia Staff
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Scientists remove the lid of the OSIRIS-REx Sample canister retrieved from near-Earth asteroid Bennu, find its ‘dust and debris’

On Tuesday (26 September), NASA scientists removed the initial lid from the canister, which was part of the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule that had touched down in the Utah desert just two days prior. Following its successful landing, the sample capsule retrieved from space was delivered to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on September 25.

Inside the canister, NASA scientists found black dust and debris of near-Earth asteroid Bennu on the avionics deck of the OSIRIS-REx sample canister. 

Notably, the Johnson Centre houses the world’s largest collection of astromaterials. According to the official statement by NASA, at the Johnson Centre, the curation experts will perform the intricate disassembly of the Touch and Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) to get down to the bulk sample within. 

The space agency added that these operations are taking place in a new laboratory that has been designed specifically for the OSIRIS-REx mission. The aluminium lid was removed inside a glovebox designed to enable working with the large piece of hardware.

After separating the TAGSAM from the canister, it will be inserted in a sealed transfer container to preserve a nitrogen environment for up to about two hours. The container will allow enough time for the team to insert the TAGSAM into another unique glovebox and this will speed up the disassembly process. 

Notably, the space agency is taking due diligence to not come into contact with the sample retrieved from asteroid Bennu and the hardware removal process will be done delicately taking necessary precautions to avoid risk of contamination. 

As per the space agency, scientists and engineers at Johnson will work together to complete the disassembly process. Subsequently, it will reveal the sample to the world in a special live broadcast event that will take place on 11 October at 11 a.m. ET. 

Earlier, NASA’s OSIRIS REx spacecraft retrieved the sample return capsule that contains a piece of near-Earth asteroid named Bennu. It landed near Salt Lake City at 8:25 PM IST on 24 September. Later, a recovery mission was launched to locate and retrieve the capsule. 

During the descending phase, the capsule estimatedly reached temperatures up to 2,760° Celsius. Resultantly, the recovery team waited for the capsule to cool down so that it could handle it safely. NASA scientists and engineers have been training for this procedure for months and have conducted several simulations of the capsule recovery. They also set up a clean room to handle the capsule.

The estimated weight of the sample is around 8.8 ounces (250 grams) of asteroid rocks and soil from asteroid Bennu. 

Regarding the sample, NASA said, “Pieces of 4.6bn-year-old space rock ‘act as a time capsule from the earliest days of our solar system.” It is believed that the sample could help scientists understand the ingredients that went into making planets including our own.

Notably, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security and Regolith Explorer. This seven-year mission planned to study what scientists have described as the most dangerous rock in the Solar System began in 2016 when it lifted off with an aim to collect samples from the Bennu asteroid. It then began orbiting Bennu in 2018 and the spacecraft later collected the sample in 2020 using a long sting vacuum and subsequently set off on its lengthy return trip to Earth in May 2021.

It’s NASA’s first time returning an asteroid sample from space. Earlier, Japan had collected around a teaspoonful of samples in two asteroid missions.

To know more details about the asteroid Bennu and the OSIRIS REx mission, click here. 

As per official information, Bennu is a carbonaceous asteroid which means that it has a lot of carbon in it, perhaps 5-10% by mass. It is expected that Scientists could see a mix of rocky fragments in a range of sizes – from a few millimetres across down to dust-sized. The material will appear very dark, almost black, and very crumbly. 

Arab countries ask Pakistan not to send beggars disguised as pilgrims as 90% of beggars caught are Pakistanis: Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis

OpIndia Staff
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Arab countries ask Pakistan not to send beggars disguised as pilgrims as 90% of beggars caught are Pakistanis: Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis

Zeeshan Khanzada, Secretary Overseas Pakistanis reportedly provided some troubling figures regarding the indigent country’s foreign population in a recent Senate Standing Committee meeting on Foreign Pakistanis. He disclosed that a significant portion of overseas Pakistanis engage in begging which puts many of them in legal trouble, adding a massive stain to Pakistan’s already disgraceful record.

He asserted that several Pakistanis who indulged in international beggaring had run into legal issues. He divulged that 90% of the beggars caught abroad were from Pakistan. The ambassadors of Saudi Arabia and Iraq complained that their jails were overcrowded as a result of these arrests which also raised concerns about human trafficking.

He mentioned that many of the pickpockets nabbed inside the Masjid al-Haram in Saudi Arabia were Pakistanis and frequently used Umrah visas to visit the place for begging.

Reports also mention that the Arab countries have asked Pakistan to stop sending beggars disguised as pilgrims. Authorities in these countries have asked Pakistan to take back all the beggars, adding that 90% of the beggars caught in the countries are Pakistanis.

The subject of Pakistan’s relatively low presence among skilled employees in nations like Japan was brought up during the discussion by Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hasan. He stated that barely 200 Pakistanis had been deployed despite Japan’s request for 340,000 skilled personnel from diverse nations. This sparked reservations about the country’s workers being underutilised in international job markets.

About 1.5 million skilled employees from India and 91,000 from Nepal were sent to the east-Asian country. A competent workforce has also been sent there from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He highlighted that Pakistan has a workforce of about 500,000 engineers and Nepal has a population of 30 million. However, the latter has dispatched workers to Japan where many of them are learning the Japanese language.

Approximately 3 million Pakistanis are employed in Saudi Arabia and while the government is drafting a plan, the Gulf state is currently hiring proficient workers rather than unskilled labour, according to the senator. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is establishing skill centres in Pakistan due to the lack of skilled personnel. Around 200,000 Pakistanis are employed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which has offered to send 50,000 skilled workers to Pakistan.

The representatives from Overseas Pakistanis briefed the committee that Pakistan inked a contract with Japan in 2019. The latter has confirmed that Pakistan’s workforce should receive language training.

Senator Sherry Rehman stressed the necessity for Pakistanis to improve their abilities and drew comparisons to Nepal which had been sending mountain shepherds to Pakistan which lacked experts in surveying and mountaineering. She voiced worry about the lack of comprehensive training programmes and the competency level of Pakistani workers.

Zeeshan Khanzada further conveyed to the committee that there are many Pakistanis residing abroad with Bangladesh and India outpacing them in terms of emigration. He added that the majority of beggars who are apprehended are his fellow countrymen and that many are being imprisoned for begging in the Islamic holy cities. He proclaimed that most of the people arrested for stealing wallets inside sacred sites are Pakistanis who enter on religious visas but end up begging.

He noted that many Pakistanis were employed in nations like the UAE and Qatar and that Pakistan had developed a skilled centre in Saudi Arabia. According to him, many Pakistanis were prepared for the workforce and were willing to pay high sums of money, up to 5 million rupees to land jobs abroad.

This meeting primarily concentrated on Pakistan’s emigration concerns, including discussions on the necessity to send skilled labour abroad and resolve different issues involving Pakistanis living abroad.

Notably, former Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif famously referred to the country as a beggar when he replied, “Beggars can’t be choosers,” in April of 2022 after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supremo and ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan Niazi called him a “slave of America”.

He then reiterated the same in September of the same year when he announced, “Today when we go to any friendly country or make a phone call, they think that we have come to beg for money,” while speaking at a lawyers’ convention. “Where does Pakistan stand today after 75 years,” he asked and added, “Even smaller economies have surpassed Pakistan and we have been wandering for the past 75 years carrying a begging bowl.”

The South Asian country has been simultaneously and unsuccessfully battling severe economic crises, inflation bombs, political instability and terror attacks for quite some time now with no end to its mounting troubles in sight.

Home Ministry orders CBI probe into Arvind Kejriwal’s lavish Sheesh Mahal, all documents to be handed over by PWD by 3rd October

OpIndia Staff
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Home Ministry orders CBI probe into Arvind Kejriwal’s lavish Sheesh Mahal, all documents to be handed over by PWD by 3rd October

On Wednesday (27 September), the Union Home Ministry ordered a CBI enquiry to probe the irregularities in the lavish renovation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence. Subsequently, the probe agency registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) in the matter. Now, it will investigate the matter.

According to a report in India Today, the CBI has directed the Public Works Department (PWD) under the Delhi government to hand over all documents by 3 October. The CBI will now enquire into all aspects related to the alleged irregularities that were revealed by an enquiry conducted by the Chief Secretary of Delhi. 

Based on the Chief Secretary’s report, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena wrote to the CBI to initiate a probe into the matter. Apparently, his five-page letter written to the CBI Director in May has prompted this enquiry. 

Earlier on 18 June, the Directorate of Vigilance issued show-cause notices to seven Public Works Department (PWD) officials in connection with the alleged expenditure on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence case. The official statement noted that they were given 15 days time to respond to the notice. 

Later, on 27 June, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India initiated what it said was a “special audit” into the alleged “administrative and financial” irregularities during the renovation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence, referred to as  ‘Sheesh Mahal’ in media reports. 

The CAG’s special audit move followed a recommendation by the Ministry of Home Affairs after having received a letter on 24 May 2023, from the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat. It had pointed out that gross financial irregularities, prima facie, were reported in the reconstruction of Kejriwal’s official residence. 

The LG, in his letter, underlined that these violations or “extravagant expenditure” took place at the behest of “Hon’ble CM Madam”, in an apparent reference to Kejriwal’s wife, during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is important to note that the resident of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is situated on 6, Flagstaff Road in Civil Lines. It was alleged that Rs 45 crores were spent on renovations that were undertaken at his official residence. 

According to media reports, 23 curtains were approved for installation at the residence of Delhi CM and AAP national convenor, with a total cost of Rs 97 lakhs. Imported from Vietnam, the marble used for the renovation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence cost around Rs 3 crores. The flooring was done using ‘Deor Pearl Marble’, known for its superior quality. 

Additionally, Rs 21,60,000 was spent on the chemical adhesive used to fix the marble. The documents also reveal that a sum of Rs 40 lakhs was spent on installing six almirahs at the official residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

What is Disease X that experts claim is 20 times deadlier than COVID-19: Details

Gopal Tiwari
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What is Disease X that experts claim is 20 times deadlier than COVID-19: Details

With COVID-19 evolving into a persistent and increasingly known health challenge, global healthcare experts are now preparing for a possible emergence of “Disease X.” They warn that this novel virus could potentially yield an impact that can be twice that of the catastrophic pandemic Spanish Flu of 1918-1920.

As per a British health specialist, Disease X has the potential to trigger a deadlier pandemic than COVID-19, possibly resulting in a death toll of at least 50 million. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has defined Disease X as an outbreak that might be caused by a pathogen not yet identified as a human disease agent.

Kate Bingham, who chaired the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce from May to December 2020, indicated that the potential impact of the new virus could resemble that of the Spanish Flu pandemic from 1919 to 1920. Kate Bingham said, “Let me put it this way: the 1918–19 flu pandemic killed at least 50 million people worldwide, twice as many as were killed in the First World War. Today, we could expect a similar death toll from one of the many viruses that already exist.”

She emphasised the need for global readiness in organising extensive vaccination campaigns and swiftly administering doses to counter the looming threat posed by Disease X. Bingham also elaborated that numerous viruses are undergoing replication and mutation at a pace surpassing that of all other life forms on Earth combined.

This emerging potential pandemic has the potential to cause 20 times more fatalities than the coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic, which commenced in 2020, has sadly led to the loss of at least over 2.5 million lives globally.

Kate Bingham revealed that although scientists have identified 25 virus families containing thousands of individual viruses, she believes there are millions of undiscovered viruses with the potential to evolve into pandemics.

She said, “In a sense, we got lucky with COVID-19, despite the fact that it caused 20 million or more deaths across the world. The point is that the vast majority of people infected with the virus managed to recover. Imagine Disease X is as infectious as measles with the fatality rate of Ebola (67%). Somewhere in the world, it’s replicating, and sooner or later, somebody will start feeling sick.”

Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli is also among the scientists warning about the possible new pandemic. Shi Zhengli said, “If a coronavirus caused diseases to emerge before, there is a high chance it will cause future outbreaks.”

In July 2023, a report published in the English-language journal Emerging Microbes and Infections identified 20 coronavirus species classified as ‘highly risky.’ Among these viruses, six are already documented to have caused diseases in humans, and there is supporting evidence that an additional three have either caused diseases or infected other animal species. The report said, “It is almost certain that there will be future disease emergence and it is highly likely a (coronavirus) disease again.”

The study relied on an examination of viral characteristics, encompassing factors such as population size, genetic diversity, host range, and any prior instances of zoonotic transmission, where diseases leap from animals to humans. Shi Zhengli and her research team also pinpointed key hosts of the pathogen, which include natural hosts like bats and rodents, as well as potential intermediary hosts, including camels, civets, pigs, or pangolins.

As global healthcare experts brace themselves for the potential emergence of “Disease X,” the spectre of a virus with a reach and impact reminiscent of the devastating Spanish Flu looms large. The warnings echo the urgency of our times, reminding us of the fragility of our global health landscape. With Disease X on the horizon, potentially more lethal and far-reaching than COVID-19, vigilance and preparedness are paramount. Kate Bingham’s stark comparison to the 1918-1920 flu pandemic underscores the stakes involved. The need for robust vaccination campaigns and rapid responses becomes ever more critical in the face of this looming threat. As we confront this uncertain future, it is a stark reminder of the perpetual battle against infectious diseases that humanity must wage.

Depraved double life of Adam Britton: British crocodile expert admits he raped, tortured and killed dozens of dogs in a “torture room”

OpIndia Staff
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Depraved double life of Adam Britton: British crocodile expert admits he raped, tortured and killed dozens of dogs in a “torture room”

A well-known British scholar and crocodile expert has admitted guilt to several counts of animal cruelty including the rape, torture and murder of dogs. The 51-year-old Adam Robert Corden Britton commenced his criminal behaviour in 2014 and continued until his arrest in April 2022. He sexually abused more than 42 canines and shared videos and images of the same on online forums under pseudonyms.

He entered a guilty plea to the 56 counts on 25 September in front of the Northern Territory Supreme Court. Furthermore, he also entered a guilty plea to four charges of accessing and distributing child abuse materials.

Adam Britton (Source: Daily Mail)

The public gallery, security personnel and the media were asked to leave the courtroom by the judge, Chief Justice Michael Granthim before prosecutor Marty Aust presented the agreed facts of the charges. The details of the accusation were so heinous that he cautioned the court’s attendees that the evidence might induce “nervous shock.”

He warned, “These facts contain material that can only be described as grotesque and perverse acts that could only be described as grotesque cruelty which are both confronting and distressing and which in my assessment have the potential to cause nervous shock or some other adverse psychological reaction to a person exposed to those details. Either way, I’ll leave that up to you, but the potential has been described.”

The perpetrator’s identity had been concealed by a suppression order, but it has since been lifted. The court was informed that he had a “sadistic sexual interest” in animals, especially dogs and he ended the lives of around 40 animals on purpose in a pattern of behaviour that went back at least nine years prior. He had a shipping container on his property that he referred to as his “torture room.”

It was stuffed with laptops, cameras, external hard drives and sex toys when police searched the rural property outside Darwin last year. According to the prosecution, the accused used the container “to torture, sexually exploit, and kill dogs.”

He bought the animals from their previous owners on the online classifieds website Gumtree Australia and assured them that he would take good care of them. He also abused his own Swiss Shepherd pets, Ursa and Bolt for whom he had set up an Instagram account. Crown Prosecutor Marty Aust revealed, “Using these applications, the offender discussed his ‘kill count’ and described the shipping container on his property as his ‘torture room’.”

Ursa and Bolt (Source: Dailly Mail)

“I had repressed it. In the last few years, I let it out again, and now I can’t stop. I don’t want to,” he had posted in an online message which was read out in court.

The offender has served as a professor at Charles Darwin University for many years and also worked with renowned British broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and author Sir David Frederick Attenborough. A BBC nature documentary with the latter as the narrator, titled Life in Cold Blood, included his pet crocodile Smaug a few years ago.

He spoke with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2015 and commented, “They really wanted to get a shot of two crocodiles copulating underwater. I said, ‘OK, whatever you want, but it will be virtually impossible to film in the wild’.” He claimed to have worked with Bear Grylls as well. “He was a bit of a sook (Australian slang for wimp) to be honest. He was definitely a bit apprehensive about going in with Smaug,” he mentioned in an interview with ABC.

He was placed in imprisonment on remand. The case is scheduled for sentencing on 13 December when it is anticipated that defence attorneys will present their arguments. He is not accused of any crimes committed towards reptiles.

The wildlife worker is from West Yorkshire and was awarded his PhD in zoology by the University of Bristol. He was married for 15 years. He left the UK for Australia’s Northern Territory to pursue his passion for saltwater crocodiles, the enormous predators that inhabit the nation’s tropical regions.

Adam Britton with a giant crocodile. (Source: The Telegraph)

The Darwin-based naturalist produced nature documentaries for the BBC and National Geographic as well as wrote books, worked on films and maintained a 16-foot-long saltwater crocodile as a pet that weighed half a tonne and gave it the name Smaug.

Travesty of justice: Court asks state to pay Rs 1 lakh compensation to prisoner who spent 3 years in jail because authorities could not open bail order

OpIndia Staff
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Travesty of justice: Court asks state to pay Rs 1 lakh compensation to prisoner who spent 3 years in jail because authorities could not open bail order

On September 27, a divisional bench of the Gujarat High Court comprising of Justice AS Supehia and Justice MR Mengdey ordered the state government to pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation to Chandanji Thakor, a 27-year-old inmate who, after being granted bail in 2020, remained imprisoned for an additional three years.

Despite receiving bail in 2020, Thakor reportedly had to serve three years in prison because prison officials asserted that they were unable to access the bail order that the High Court registry had forwarded to them as an email attachment.

“In the present case, the registry of this Court had categorically informed the jail authorities about the order passed by this Court releasing the applicant on regular bail. It is not the case that such E-mail was not received by the jail authorities. It is the case of the jail authorities that necessary action could not be taken given the COVID-19 pandemic and though they have received the E-mail, they were unable to open the attachment,” the court order read.

Noting that after receiving the email from the District Sessions Court, no measures were made by the Court to ensure that the decision to release the convict on bail was properly carried out. “The present case is an eye-opener,” said the Court. According to the reports, Thakor had been imprisoned for life in a murder case until his sentence was suspended on September 29, 2020.

The jail authorities gave the COVID-19 pandemic as an explanation for why they were unable to take the appropriate steps and why they failed to detect the email. As a result, the Court’s ruling was not followed.

The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), according to the court’s most recent order, failed to alert the jail authorities of the suspension of the sentence. The Court further stated that Thakor remained to be imprisoned as a result of the prison guards’ negligence.

“The applicant, though was released and could have enjoyed his freedom, was forced to remain in jail only because no attention was paid by the jail authorities to contact the Registry or Sessions Court about the order passed by this Court,” said the Court.

The bench then cited the jail staff’s negligence and ordered the state government to pay the Rs 1 lakh compensation within 14 days. In addition, the court ordered all DLSAs to compile information on all inmates who have been granted bail but may not yet have been released.

“The DLSA shall collect the reasons for their not having been released either for want of surety or non-execution of the jail bonds or for any other reason,” the Court directed.

Manipur government declares the entire state a ‘disturbed area’, AFSPA extended for 6 months except in 19 police stations

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur government declares the entire state a ‘disturbed area’, AFSPA extended for 6 months except in 19 police stations

On Wednesday (27 September), the Manipur government announced that AFSPA will remain in force for another six months in view of the present law and order situation in the state. According to the latest government notification, the entire state has been declared a ‘disturbed area’ under AFSPA. However, areas coming in the jurisdiction of 19 police stations including the state capital Imphal have been excluded from this status. 

The government notification noted, “The State Government has decided to maintain status quo on the present disturbed area status in the State of Manipur excluding the areas falling under the 19 police stations for a period of 6 (six) months w.e.f. 01/10/2023.”

The notification added that the violent activities of various extremist/insurgent groups warrant the use of Armed Forces in aid of civil administration in the entire state.

The recognition of disturbed areas under AFSPA in Manipur has been in effect since 2004. Last year in April, the government revoked AFSPA from 15 police station areas spanning six districts. Later, this year in April, the government further revoked AFSPA from four additional police stations. Consequently, these 19 police station areas in seven districts of Manipur have been excluded from the disturbed area under AFSPA, as per the latest government notification.

The notification comes in the wake of recent protests that broke out in Manipur following the killing of two Meitei students. Two Imphal locals, Hijam Linthoingami (17) and Phijam Hemjit (20), who had gone missing since July 6, 2023, were reportedly killed as two photographs surfaced online, confirming their tragic demise.

In one of the images that went viral, the two students were depicted seated on a grassy area, with two armed men visible in the background. Another picture, circulating across social media platforms, showed the bodies of the two students lying on grass. According to media reports, they were abducted by Kuki militants. 

Soon, protests erupted in the state again and students took to the streets demanding Justice for the deceased students. 

Following the circulation of the images online, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh assured the public that prompt and resolute measures would be taken against individuals implicated in the abduction and tragic loss of the students.

Earlier in the day (27 September), a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team, led by the agency’s Special Director Ajay Bhatnagar, reached Imphal on a special flight to investigate the alleged “kidnapping and killing” of two students, media reported.

The ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state of Manipur has already resulted in more than 100 fatalities and thousands of displaced residents. 

The first clashes occurred on 3 May following a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) in the hill areas to oppose the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Tensions rose in April as a result of a Manipur High Court decision ordering the state administration to make a decision regarding the Scheduled Tribe status issue.

Madhya Pradesh: Semi-nude and injured, 12-year-old rape survivor walks on streets of Ujjain seeking help; video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Semi-nude and injured, 12-year-old rape survivor walks on streets of Ujjain seeking help; video goes viral

A dreadful case of rape of a minor has come to the fore from the city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. The 12-year-old girl was found in a semi-nude condition bleeding on the street. The police confirmed the incident and said that her medical examination confirmed that she had been raped.

“The girl probably hails from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, but her identity is yet to be established as she is unable to tell her name and address to the police properly,” one of the officials was quoted as saying.

“A girl, aged around 12 years, was found bleeding on a street located under the Mahakal police station area in Ujjain on Monday. She was taken to a hospital, where her initial medical examination confirmed that she had been raped,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Sachin Sharma said.

He added that the girl neither has an identity card nor is she able to tell her name and address accurately. A case has been registered at the Mahakal police station, and an investigation into the incident is underway.

As per the media reports, the girl was discovered by the police near Dandi Ashram on the Badnagar road. Injuries on her private parts could be visibly seen. Her clothes were stained, and she was scared when found by the police.

The police immediately shifted her to the local hospital and later she was taken to a hospital in Indore. The girl also told the police officers that her mother had been raped and assaulted. However, no details of her mother or family have been recovered yet.

The Police also examined the CCTV footage established in the area to learn that the girl was roaming the streets with injuries on her private parts and seeking help. The girl is said to have walked for 8 kilometres on the Sanwrakheda Marg, Tirupati Dreams, Haatkeshwar Vihar Colony, and Chintamani Bridge area of the city.

Reports mention that the police examined the CCTV footage of the last 72 hours and saw one auto driver talking to the girl. The driver has now been detained by the police and is being interrogated.

One of the old persons could also be seen talking to the girl who was in a semi-nude condition in the CCTV footage. The girl told the man that some people were following her and moved ahead.

The girl belongs to Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, and says that her mother has also been raped and assaulted. The Police have filed a case and are investigating as to why the girl and her mother had come to Ujjain and why were they being followed.

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